The Lions can’t afford to be poor in the scrum again and they did far better with the front row that finished the game. Mtawrira had the game of his life and deserved to be man-of-the-match. The Springboks must have thought they had the game won and then went and made all those substitutions. They were a little over confident because it revealed that they need their experienced men.

Up front, the two reserve props, Gurthro Steenkamp and Deon Carstens, are well behind John Smit and Mtawarira. Smit had a lot of attention before the game but he showed again that he can hack it at tight head. It’s a big thing for the team because they want him to remain as captain until the next World Cup and it enables Bismarck du Plessis to develop as a hooker.